Sensex at one-month high

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex reached a one-month high amid speculation the nation’s central bank may next week halt a record series of interest-rate increases, and on optimism Europe’s debt crisis may ease.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd climbed on a report citing that Chairman Tsutomu Une the drugmaker would start Lipitor sales in the US in November on schedule. Infosys Ltd gained after chief executive officer S D Shibulal said the company’s was not seeing any project cancellations.

Sensex rose 0.6 per cent to 17,165.5 at the close, the highest since August 5. The gauge fluctuated between gains and losses at least 12 times. The S&P CNX Nifty Index on the National Stock Exchange of India advanced 0.6 per cent to 5,153.25, a third day of gain.